Ophthalmoscope



INVENTOR. Zw/'vg K Kew/v4.;

BY M ,4 ATTORNEYS.

M V VANNAS OPHTHALMOSCOPE Flled June 24, 1949 Mgnh 31, 1953 Patented Mar. 31V, -1953 i -oPHTHALMoscoPE t o Manno Vannas, HelsinkiQFinland,

4 Claims.

IMy invention relates to an ophthalmoscope for examining and viewing the interior of the eye ball ofa subject.

To the best of my knowledge all Ophthalmoscopes previouslyvused have depended on a complement of lenses held atv a distance from the cornea of theeye being examined. This spacing of theophthalmoscope from the eye limits the agleoof viewand does not permit the use of such an ophthalmoscope for examination when the eye is `turned so that the cornea comes under thel eyelid or canthus.

ItV- is Aan object of my invention to provide an ophthalmoscope which has an objective through whichthe interior of the eye ball is examined and` which rests against, or in some cases, 'is spaced slightly `from the eye ball of the subject.v This permits a much wider angle of view tha-n'with the usual type ofyophthalmoscope. Y

It is a further object of myinvention to provide an ophthalmoscope which enables the operator to operate and at the same time investigate the eye of the subject simultaneously even though the globe of the eye is turned so that the cornea is covered by the eye lid or canthus.

It is a further object of my invention to provide anophthalmoscope which contacts the eyeball and cuts out extraneous light, so that the eye of" a subject may be examined without the necessity of dimming the light'in the room.

It is a further object of my invention to provide an ophthalmoscope with all of the above features and advantages which is so proportioned and 'configured 'as to. be easily placed' in position against the eye ofa subject andwherein .the ocular or viewing .portion projects outwardly from the` body of the main portion so as to be easily available and capable of supporting a binocular, vif desirable, or a microscope, refractorneter, camera, gonioscope, or slit lamp, as the case may. be.

Itis a further object of my invention to provide a self-contained', self-luminousophthalmoscope which may also be provided with an irrigationfdu'ct for virrigating or bathing the eye of the subject.. Y i

:f These and other objects of my invention which will beset forthhereinafterbrwll beapparent to one skilled in the art upon reading these specicational accomplish-bythat certain construction and arrangement of; parts `of which y Application June 24, 1949, serial No. 101,139

y in anyposition when in' use and the objectivev my ophthalmoscope.

Figure 2 is an enlarged view of a modified terminal mirror placed near the end portion of my ophthalmosoope.

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the edge of a modified objective.

In the drawings, the gures are enlarged for clarity since the finished instrument is not usually as large as shown and the ocular is not as long as shown in Figure l of the drawing.

Briey, in the practice of my invention, I provide an ophthalmoscope with an objective which may be easily sterilized and which is adapted to contact the eye ball of the subject. The surface of contact Vwith the eye maybe an open annular aperture having a smoother edge or with a toothed periphery so as to avoid a hermetic seal with the eye ball. Preferably, the aperture is closed with a transparent medium which may consist of an optical iiat or a vconcave or convex optically neutral sheet. Y

The objective may be of such a size asto rest upon the cornea or sclera of the eye,'since my experiments have shown that undesirable pressure on the cornea is avoided with this method.

In some instances, it may be desirable to place a supplemental contact lens upon the eye ball and then place the objective aperture of the ophthalmoscope over this lens. In my preferred form, I avoid a hermetic seal between the ob.

jective and the eye ball so as to permit irriga-` tion of the cornea and I also prefer toclose the objective aperture with a transparent optically neutral sheet.v The body of the ophthalmoscope can be held resting on the cornea will shade and cut out extraneous light from the interior of the eye ball..

In the base of the main body is a source of light which is directed by means of an optical system to a xed or adjustable mirror positioned at the other end of the main body behind the objective aperture. In this way, by moving the ophthalmoscope slightly. the interior of the eye ball is illuminated.

- The ocularfor viewing the interior of the eye#A ball projects outwardly from the main body of the ophthalmoscope and at substantially rightn angles thereto, its position in use depending, of course, on the position of the cornea of the sitting or lying subject.

It is possible to mount different instruments such as binoculars, refratometers, a gonioscope, a slit lamp, a camera, or the like on the end of the ocular.

The line of vision of the operator through the ocular is reflected toward the objective by a mirror and finally reflected into the interior of the eye ball by means of the xed or adjustable mirror. ThisK permits, with relatively small movement of the ophthalmoscope,` the'cornfortable and easy inspection of the interior of the eye ball of the subject without the necessity of dimming the lights in the room.

Referring to the drawing, I provide a sulsistan-V tially cylindrical main case or bodyyl which-is.,

terminated by the objective aperture 2. This objective aperture 2 preferably restsragainst `the cornea (or solera) of the eye ball 3.

In the lower end of the body I, I provide the lamp 3 and an optical system composed of condensing lenses i and Yobjectivelenses 5and 6 to direct the illumination from the lamp 3 'ontothe mirror 'I. The mirror 'I may be'iixed or yadjustable as'shown in Figure2, and if `adjustabla'it is mounted on the semifcircular frame 8 byl means ofthe pintles 3 forY rotation. The `frame 8 is mounted on a journal I -so the Vmirrormay be revolved about the journal Iii. A stii wire -I I is attached to the mirror at I2 and runs down through the body I where it is attached to the control arm I3. By'actuating thecontrol arm I 3, the mirror I may be tilted in a vertical plane. An arm I4 projects from theframe 8'and has attached 'to its end a second stiif wire I5 which runs down through the body I and is attached to the end of the'control lever I3. By manipulating.the control lever I6, the mirror I may be rotated about the vbracket I Il.

From'the above, it is apparent `that the operator by manipulating levers I3 and I6 may direct the light from the'y source 3 into ythe interior of the eye ball.

Ordinarily, the mirror 1 need not be adjustable but 'can be'flxed in the end'of the body I since the manual manipulation of the ophthalmoscope will be sufcient to direct the beam of light into the interior of the eyeball.

The ocular to'which the eye of the operator is applied consists of `a tube-like housing I1 which is'attachedto and projects from the mainlbody portion I `at'substantially 'a' right angle. A series of .exchangeable and adjustable lenses I8 and YISI areheld within the housing Il and a slopingmir-` ror 20 is Vpositioned at a 45 angle to the line of sightthrough the vocular and within the main body I The'mirror 2! has a hole kor transparent window 2I in'its'center to permit 4passage of the liglitrays fromthe'source up through the body tubeA I to the mirror 1. The operators line o'f sight through the tube I'I is reflected by the mirror 20 up through the lenses 5 and 6 permit-V that the adjustable. lenses I 8V andy Ir 9 in the 'ocular' may -be changed, as desired. Or, that different devices such `as a microscope, acamera, a'biriocu llarfa gonioscope, or' the like may be'placed on the 4 ocular tube II as to perform their individual functions. 1.

Within or along the outside of my body I, I provide an irrigation passageway 22 which terminates within the objective aperture 2 and between the eye ball and the aperture closure. The irrigation passage is controlled by the pinch valve 23 which is operated by the fingers. When it is desirable to irrigate the surface of the eye ball and the valve 23 is opened, the uid Passing through the passageway 22 will discharge from its open end 24 onto the surface of the eye ball. In this case it is usually desirable to form the edge of the :objective aperture-ibiza series of teeth 2' (see Figure 3) :soas to permit .the fluid after flowing over the surface of the eye ball to ow between the ophthalmoscope and the eye of the subject.

From-the above, it is apparent that I have pro- Vvidedan ophthalmoscope which may be used in a brilliantly lighted room, but which will permit the-'operaton'to easily inspect the interior of th subjects eye ball. Since the objective of the ophthalmoscope is in contact or substantial contact with the cornea of 4the eye of the subject, it may'be Yturned slightly; on the'surfacefof Vthe eye ball or the mirror `'I may be ladjusted forfclear.

inspection. If the ball of the eye isbr mustbeV It is to be understood'that diiferent forms of.

my preferred Vform maybe'made withoutdeparting lfrom the spirit of my invention.` Having thus described. my invention, what -I cla-im :as vnew and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. An ophthalmoscope .comprising a light impervious .tubular casing termin-ating Tat one end ina vtubularlterminal member having a closed end and an objective aperturein its side adjacent said closedend, said terminalrnember beingof asize and shape tobe whollyslid under theeye lid of a" subject to Vtherebyalign .the aperture with the cornea Vof the eye, a light 4source at kthe opposite end of .said tubular casing, a tubular housing opening-into-1said tubularzcasing intermediate the ends thereof and projecting outwardly from the wall of .said tubularfcasingon the `sideopposite said aperture, `and an optical system comprising a `rst mirrorin .said terminal member adjacent said aperture, a.second `mirror` in said tubular casing adjacentltheropening of said housing, said second mirror having .an opening thereinv for the passage .of light from said light source, focusing lenses insaid casing betweenrsaidrst and second mirrors, and `aviewing ocular in Ysaid housev ing, and condensing lenses for said light source in.

said casing `between Asaidlight* source Aand said second mirror, wherebylight from said light source will'be directed through lsaid aperture and` an image 'cfa portion ofV the eye'will'be transmitted from said aperture to said viewing'ocular.

2. The ophthalmoscope claimed in claim l wherein the edge loffsaidpbjective apertureis toothed.

3. The ophthalmoscope claimed inv claim 11 wherein the edge of said objective aperture is:

toothed and wherein liquid discharging means is connected therewith.

4. The ophthalmoscope claimed in claim 1 wherein said first mirror is movably mounted and wherein control means are provided on said casing for controlling the movement of said rst mir- 101.

MAUNO V. VANNAS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

'UNITED STATES PATENTS y Number Name Y Date 1,121,667 Ross Dec. 22, 1914 1,235,170 'I'horner July 31, 1917 Number Number 

